Getting Botanical...

Our front garden is abuzz with new growth.  The flowers are  blooming, the butterflies are coming to visit, and all the greenery has me inspired.

I love pinnate leaves, the feathery appearance immediately attracts me!

I have imprinted some lavender leaves from our garden into some pmc3...  I have them refined and ready to put in the kiln.  

This is my first time trying something organic as a pattern.  And, I am in love.  Once these have been properly sintered, they will for all intents and purposes be preserved forever.  

Isn't that amazing?  Each leaf, each pinnae, like a human fingerprint...while all similar not ever completely the same...

I've already been out nosing around the garden this morning searching for more inspiration.

I did have plans to go to the gym this morning, but those plans have been thwarted by a sick little one.  

I've given her Tylenol and tucked her into bed and she is now sleeping soundly...poor baby.

Have a great day all!  I can't wait to continue my botanical experiments!

Botanical inspirations...

If there were anywhere in the world I could be right now, it would be the San Diego Zoo.

We went last November around Thanksgiving time and met my parents, niece, sister and a friend of hers. 

We were staying closer to Anaheim, and it was about an hour and a half drive to get there.  We got a late start that day, and didn't get to spend quite as long as we wanted to there.  But we were still there long enough for me to fall in love....

I was feeling nostalgic for California this morning.  The beach first on my mind followed closely by the San Diego Zoo.

I have a ton of pictures so decided just to share some botanical favorites.  The zoo is also a first class botanical garden with species of plants from all over the world.

It was amazing there.  Just green everywhere.  The settings were all so natural for the animals, and the botanics so gorgeous that it was very easy to pretend that you were not in the middle of a large city.  

Some areas so thickly covered with green that much of the sunlight was blocked out.  I could have gotten lost there...

When I say "lost", I mean just me.  

Utterly alone with my thoughts. 

Just soaking it all in.

Losing every other thought about any other thing. 

And the ferns!  What would California be without the ferns?  

I would so much rather be there than here doing taxes.